FEATURED:

KERSTEIN

February 11, 2013

Morris D. Kerstein; Accomplished Surgeon and Navy Admiral Dr. Morris D. Kerstein of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, passed away on February 1, 2013 at the age of 75. He was born in Trenton, NJ on January 13, 1938 to the late Minnie and Rubin Kerstein. Dr. Kerstein graduated from Colgate University and received a Medical Doctorate from The University of Chicago Medical School. He was married to Margaret Schwedler-Kerstein in 1980. Dr. Kerstein joined the Navy in 1968 and served two years active duty in Vietnam as a trauma surgeon. He then served in Beirut and Desert Storm while in the Navy Reserves. One of Dr. Kerstein's most storied accomplishments while in the Navy was the publication of a research paper entitled “Water as a Tactical Weapon: A Doctrine for Preventing Heat Casualties,” which created new military guidelines for rapid deployment of large numbers of US Armed Forces. Dr. Kerstein retired from the Navy in 1998 as a rear admiral. Dr. Kerstein enjoyed an illustrious career as a Vascular Surgeon with Academic Appointments at Yale University in New Haven, CT; The University of Chicago in Chicago, IL; Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, LA, where he was also Associate Dean; Hahnemann University School of Medicine in Philadelphia, PA, where he served as Chairman of Surgery; and Mt. Sinai Hospital and Medical Center in New York City, NY, where he served as Vice Chairman and Director of Research in the Department of Surgery. The last part of his career was spent as the Chief of Staff at the VA Medical Center in Wilmington, DE. Over the course of his career, Dr. Kerstein published more than 800 manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals and edited and published over 18 books and 90 book chapters. He was a member of more than 40 medical societies and was a distinguished visiting professor around the world. While Dr. Kerstein was an accomplished surgeon, his true passion was teaching and being a mentor to all of his medical residents and fellows. Besides his wife, he is survived by his son Lars